Pros And Cons Of Peer Support

PTSD: Veteran’s Perspectives on Peer Support’s Benefits and Drawbacks

The Department of Veteran’s Affairs has recently augmented their existing care for Veterans’ suffering from PTSD with peer support groups. This brief report discusses Veterans’ perspectives on the benefits and drawbacks of peer support as an additional source of treatment for PTSD. PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, rape or other violent personal assault (CITED). Peer support refers to a best-practice model for supporting people who have been diagnosed with mental illness. This model relies on individuals who live
with mental illness to provide peer-to-peer support to others, drawing on their own experiences to promote wellness and recovery. (CITED). Qualitative interviews, based on a set of topics to be discussed in depth rather than the use of standardized questions (CITED), were discussed with a sample of 23 Veterans’ who have substantial treatment experience.
Subjects were from diverse ethnic/racial groups, eras of service, trauma types, and genders. Social support and understanding were the most commonly expressed potential benefits of the peer support model. Participants explained that Veterans’ understand each other in way that civilians cannot, and Veterans are more willing to open up to other Veterans (CITED). By normalizing PTSD symptoms through this model of care, Veterans felt less stigmatized and feelings of weakness for not being able to deal with their traumas were dramatically reduced by the understanding that their problems were common. For Veterans experiencing difficulty trusting others or forming relationships, peer support groups may have therapeutic benefits. Therapeutic benefits may also include changes in the way Veterans think about their trauma and help some to regain social and recreational functioning. This model of care may also become a link to professional treatment (CITED). While Veterans are more willing to reach out to other Veterans, in turn, these Veterans are in a position to facilitate contact with
professionals. While drawbacks were few, Veterans’ did note drawback potential was primarily related to the individual personalities of the group members (CITED). Expressed concern included that individuals would use groups for secondary gain, such as a social outlet with the focus not necessarily on recovery; sporadic attendance that would compromise group cohesion or that racial, religious, or sexual orientation prejudices could become problematic. A strong leader within these groups seemed to be the consensus of a strong, structured peer support group. Also noted, a nearly complete census emerged that separate groups should exist for combat and sexual trauma survivors (CITED). On the other hand, most Veterans’ were in favor of including Veterans’ of all eras in the same group (CITED). Overall, this study indicates strong Veteran support for the addition of Peer Support Groups incorporated into the medical model of treating PTSD. According to this study, Veterans’ believe that peer support may complement treatment at three time points: before entry into care, to increase initiation of psychotherapy; during care, to encourage adherence; and after care, to provide for maintenance of skills learned. The author believes that although peer support is a promising direction valued by Veterans, more research is needed to examine patient satisfaction with peer support and its effectiveness, as well as the most effective structure and format of peer groups (CITED).